1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input apparatus having at least one input key assigned a plurality of information items to be inputted, and to the input key.
2. Related Background Art
The portable terminals such as cell phones need to be compact enough to be carried by users. For this reason, where the portable terminals are provided with a keyboard, the number of keys in the keyboard is often much smaller than that in the so-called full keyboard.
In the case as described above, it is common practice to assign one key a plurality of symbols. A conventionally proposed method of inputting a plurality of symbols through one key is to detect a direction of a force exerted on the key and input an independent symbol by the direction. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-296001 discloses the following technology of detecting the direction of the push on the key, for substantializing this idea. This technology is such that switches and protruding portions according to push directions are provided inside the key, and with a push, a protruding portion turns on a switch according to a direction of the push, thereby detecting the direction of the push.